Who Is Your God?

[villageitiot]

Who Is Your God?

Most people are outraged upon hearing this question. "What do you mean, `Who is your god?' they ask, `My god is the Creator of the heavens and the earth.' " And most of these people will be shocked to find out that their proclamation that their god is the Creator of the heavens and the earth is no more than lip service, and that they are in fact destined for Hell (12:106).

Your god is whoever or whatever occupies your mind most of the time.

Your god can be your children (7:190), your spouse (9:24), your business (18:35), or your ego (25:43). This is why we note that one of the most important and most repeated commandments in the Quran is:

"O you who believe, you shall remember God frequently; glorify Him day and night." [33:41]

To put this commandment into practice, we must establish certain habits whereby we guarantee that God occupies our minds more than anything else. The Quran helps us establish such soul saving habits:

1. The Contact Prayers (Salat): those who observe the 5 daily prayers come a long way towards commemorating God a significant proportion of their waking hours. Salat helps us remember God not only during the few minutes of prayer, but also throughout the times of anticipation. At 11:00 AM, one may look at his or her watch to see if the noon prayer is due yet. This act causes one to think about God, and one is credited accordingly (20:14).

2. Commemorate God before eating: Verse 6:121 enjoins us to mention God's name before we eat: "You shall not eat from that upon which God's name has not been mentioned."

3. God Willing (IN SHAA ALLAH): "You shall not say, `I will do this or that tomorrow,' without saying, `God willing' (IN SHAA ALLAH). If you forget to do this, then apologize and say, `May my Lord guide me to do better next time.'" [18:24]. This is a direct commandment that we must carry out, no matter who we are talking with.

4. God's Gift (MAA SHAA ALLAH): To invoke God's protection for our beloved objects - our children, our cars, our homes, etc. - we are enjoined in 18:39 to say "MAA SHAA ALLAH" (This is God's gift).

5. Glorify God day and night: When we eat anything, we shouldn't be like animals; we must reflect on God's creation of the food we are eating - the flavor, our enjoyment due to the senses God has given us, the perfect packaging of the banana or the orange, the varieties of sea foods created by God, etc. - and glorify Him as we enjoy His provisions. When we see a beautiful flower, or animal, or sunsets, we must glorify God. We must seize every possible opportunity to remember and glorify God, so that God may be our God.

6. First Utterance: Make it a habit to say: "In the name of God, Most Gracious, Most Merciful. There is no other god besides God," the moment you wake up every morning. If you establish this good habit, this is what you will utter when you are resurrected.

info@submission.org
http://www.submission.org/
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I found this to be an enlightening writing. Maybe I need to kneel down five times a day

[Arius]

Islam itself is a most beautiful and intense religion. I wish more people fully understood it (and that includes radical Muslims).

Truth is that Islam is both great and evil. Yes, there are parts of the Quran that incite violence, call for murder, etc, just as there are in the Bible. However, at it's core, Islam requires complete and utter submission to the will of God.

I have found many parts of the New Testament that call for a similar acts. In the Lord's Prayer, for example, Jesus taught us to pray with words that include "Thy will be done...". Jesus also completely submitted to God in the Garden of Gethsemane (Luke 22:42) "Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done."

In this regard, Jesus may have been the first Muslim in the literal sense.

It is also important to note that Muhammad knew nothing of Jesus before receiving his Revelation from God. One must also take into account that Muhammad was an illiterate nomad, and did not write down one word he received, but rather (and somehow quite miraculously) remembered each word exactly once it was received. The Quran (or "Recitation") is an exact accounting of the Revelation Muhammad received from God over a long period of time.

One other note of importance is that Islam is practiced today the way it was during the times of Muhammad. Islam has not changed itself to increase or keep it's members, yet has seem a dramatic rise in believers worldwide. Muslims also fast during the daylight hours during the month of Ramadan, which not only shows a devotion to God, but also an understanding of poverty and of going without.

Finally, I wanted to mention Jihad. That is so completely misunderstood in Western culture. Jihad simply means "struggle". It can mean holy war (as it has been used by radicals), but it also pertains to the daily struggles one has in life. One faces jihad in fasting, in helping the poor, in making ends meet, and even in praying according to Islamic precepts. It is not always easy, but what you will find in most Muslims (whether Arabic, European, or American) is a resolve testing through piety, humility, and hunger.

[goodnews]

Anytime I read any of the World's Great Religions...I must say I am temporarily inspired...and see their beauty and power...and I tend to give a certain grudging respect to Most of the major religions...believing that they could not have held such a lasting impression on large portions of mankind without having Something uplifting, beautiful and Strong......

However, I am basically a selfish little worm...and will only follow something that ACTUALLY works..and makes a real difference in my life...and this is where religions start to fall by the wayside...yes, I see that many people claim great personal benefits from their religion...but for me..they are basically worthless

Some of the precepts of various religions sound good...but in practice are impossible...so to me they are out of touch with basic human needs..

I mean ..if I am a fish...and the Bible tells me I can fly...well, there is going to be a dead fish somewhere no matter how many times it tells me I can fly....

And Prayer...does prayer work...It does seem to have some power like Repetive suggestion....I mean if you wake up everyday and repeat that you will run 5 miles ..it probably will remind you to do that...but as far as some of the biggest issues like finding love , happiness, preventing death, sickness, and suffering...it is worthless...absolutely worthless....


Now organized religion does have some benefits by making you feel part of a group...and there is a sense of strenght as being a part of a group....

But trying to belive all that crap I hear always proves too much for me..and I give up..I mean Jesus very well may be the son of God...but I still have to find my own way and stumble and scrape my knees..and in the end I can stand before whomever and say..I tried my best....

[Arius]

Some parts of your post are dead on.

Faith, however, is something that can give us strength in times of need (and even times of peace). I complete submit to the will of Things (or God), and follow the Serenity Prayer often.

God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can't, and the wisdom to know the difference.

I often find it is the wisdom part I fail the most. I have been known to beat my proverbial knuckles on a brick wall until they bleed before knowing the bricks just aren't going to give. Then I grab a sledgehammer and realize that the wall I tearing down is a bearing wall...the rest is nothing but dead weight coming down all around me.

Regardless, since I do not understand in any way the process of afterlife, I will just continue on a journey that works for me and hope for the best. I just can't be that fish who thinks he can fly because some man wrote a book telling him he could (great analogy by the way, hope you don't mind if I use it from time to time).

I wish more people would meditate. I does clear up a lot of stuff (prayer once was meditation until it became the repetitive blather we hear today). I never have felt peace, strength and clarity like I do in meditation, and the focus is awesome.

[Pineygirl]

You wrote:
"It is also important to note that Muhammad knew nothing of Jesus before receiving his Revelation from God. One must also take into account that Muhammad was an illiterate nomad, and did not write down one word he received, but rather (and somehow quite miraculously) remembered each word exactly once it was received. The Quran (or "Recitation") is an exact accounting of the Revelation Muhammad received from God over a long period of time."

You've stated these miracles as if you believe that they happened. Yet you have a problem accepting the miracles of the Old and New Testament -- scriptures much older than those of the Q'uran. Interesting...

[Arius]

I have historical proof that Muhammad as a nomad, was illiterate, and had very little contact with Christianity or Judaism before receiving his message. He is the origin of the Quran and the Muslim faith, and there is historical record of his having been here, albeit 600 years after Jesus was alive. We have proof of Muhammad, of his educational background, of his life. He was a nomad trader who had exposure to the pagan polytheists of his day and age, and some Christians by marriage.

Knowing this, and the fact that the Quran speaks very clearly of Jesus and Mary, and of Jews (people of the Book), it is quite amazing that not only did Muhammad remember each word of the Quran (literal meaning "the Recitation"), but each word remains exact today as it was recited in Muhammad's time. Also, Muhammad details conception as a "clot of blood" long before science had proved that this was even remotely the case.

There is no stretch of one's faith in these facts, they are historical in nature.

I do not, however, believe in Muhammad's miraculous journey to Heaven and Hell, or his meeting with Moses, Abraham, or Jesus. They could have happened, but I just can't stretch my imagination this far.

I am consistent in my beliefs. What I can understand and find fact in, I believe, what is beyond my understanding or seems fantasy to me, I remain skeptical of. What I cannot prove I await proof of.

[njriverman]

I like that Christians, Jews and Muslims all worship the same God. The One God. That is a BIG common ground.

[Pineygirl]

Originally Posted by Arius

I have historical proof that Muhammad as a nomad, was illiterate, and had very little contact with Christianity or Judaism before receiving his message. He is the origin of the Quran and the Muslim faith, and there is historical record of his having been here, albeit 600 years after Jesus was alive. We have proof of Muhammad, of his educational background, of his life. He was a nomad trader who had exposure to the pagan polytheists of his day and age, and some Christians by marriage.

Knowing this, and the fact that the Quran speaks very clearly of Jesus and Mary, and of Jews (people of the Book), it is quite amazing that not only did Muhammad remember each word of the Quran (literal meaning "the Recitation"), but each word remains exact today as it was recited in Muhammad's time. Also, Muhammad details conception as a "clot of blood" long before science had proved that this was even remotely the case.

There is no stretch of one's faith in these facts, they are historical in nature.

I do not, however, believe in Muhammad's miraculous journey to Heaven and Hell, or his meeting with Moses, Abraham, or Jesus. They could have happened, but I just can't stretch my imagination this far.

I am consistent in my beliefs. What I can understand and find fact in, I believe, what is beyond my understanding or seems fantasy to me, I remain skeptical of. What I cannot prove I await proof of.

Your historical proof is similar to that for Jesus.
The earliest biography of Muhammad was written by ibn Ishaq -- 120 years after Muhammad's death. And any non-Islamic sources were not written until decades later.
In fact, if you believe the Q'uran as more historically correct than the New Testament, then you must believe in the virgin birth of Jesus. Muhammad got that straight from God Himself. And he wrote it down word-for-word, in a text where "each word remains exact today" (again, not much different from the Scriptures).
I think you just delight in being an iconoclast, attempting to destroy the firm, happy beliefs of others. There are some people who believe that it's intellectually superior to always question and never come to a conclusion.
I respect those intellects who are able to amass information, synthesize it, test it, and then come to a conclusion that they consider factual. That's how our leading scientific intellectuals do it, after all. Although even some of them appear to confuse theory with fact.

[Arius]

Originally Posted by njriverman

I like that Christians, Jews and Muslims all worship the same God. The One God. That is a BIG common ground.

Absolutely!

There is more common ground, but as all humans seem to do, we concentrate on the things that make them different.

[Arius]

Originally Posted by Pineygirl

Your historical proof is similar to that for Jesus.
The earliest biography of Muhammad was written by ibn Ishaq -- 120 years after Muhammad's death. And any non-Islamic sources were not written until decades later.
In fact, if you believe the Q'uran as more historically correct than the New Testament, then you must believe in the virgin birth of Jesus. Muhammad got that straight from God Himself. And he wrote it down word-for-word, in a text where "each word remains exact today" (again, not much different from the Scriptures).
I think you just delight in being an iconoclast, attempting to destroy the firm, happy beliefs of others. There are some people who believe that it's intellectually superior to always question and never come to a conclusion.
I respect those intellects who are able to amass information, synthesize it, test it, and then come to a conclusion that they consider factual. That's how our leading scientific intellectuals do it, after all. Although even some of them appear to confuse theory with fact.

I never said that I believe that the Quran is more historically accurate that the New Testament.

As for your assumptions of my personality, I do not delight in anything other than the conversation. I doubt in my wildest attempts that I could destroy any firm belief that others have, so I delight no even in the effort, but in the exchange of thoughts and ideas. I am more a Taoist than anything else, and work hard on my spirituality and my humanness. I used to be just like you, in thought and action, and it took the love of a friend to get me to see things from all sides. Her challenges to my thought process made me think beyond my borders, and my life experiences allowed me to see things from all sides.

One must understand that a firm belief should only be as firm as the facts that the belief is based on. When I am presented with facts that shake my belief in something, I review the belief. Your allusion to science is a perfect case in point, as science once believed that the earth was flat and that the sun and planets revolved around it. In fact, opinions to the contrary often were view as heresy, punishable by, you guessed it, death. Yet, when facts were bravely presented to science, that firm belief was reviewed and changed to fit the reality.

So there is nothing wrong with shaking firm beliefs, and that can only be done through challenging them.

I do understand that our reality is based in opposites. Without dark we have no light, without failure we have no success, without short we have no long. Bad needs good and good needs bad. We cannot appreciate life without death, we cannot appreciate health without illness, and we cannot appreciate the sun without the rain. That's why we need to deal with the bad, as to gain an appreciation for the good.